Food bag release valve

ABSTRACT

A method of making a plurality of flexible containers ( 12/112/212 ) comprising the steps of manufacturing a plurality of bag structures ( 13/113/213 ), separately manufacturing a plurality of valves ( 10/110/210 ), aligning the valves ( 10/110/210 ) with openings ( 24/124/224 ) in the bag structures ( 13/113/213 ), and securing the aligned valves ( 10/110/210 ) to the bag structures ( 13/113/213 ). Each valve ( 10/110/210 ) comprises a vent layer ( 30/130/230 ) which is pervious with respect to expected gasses and a sealed passageway is formed between the vent layer ( 30/130/230 ) and the container ( 12/112/212 ) when the valve ( 10/110/210 ) is secured to the bag structure ( 13/113/213 ).

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §120 to InternationalApplication No. PCT/US04/17373, International Application No.PCT/US04/17145, and International Application No. PCT/US04/17385, whicheach claimed priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Nos.60/474,735 and 60/516,791. The entire disclosures of these internationalapplications and these provisional applications are hereby incorporatedby reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally, as indicated, to a food bag releasevalve and, more particularly, to a valve for selectively releasingunwanted gas from a food bag.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Food bags are commonly used by consumers and industries to store foodfor later use or consumption. A standard food bag construction comprisesa pair of rectangular side panels made from a thermoplastic material andjoined together along side seams, a bottom seam, and a top seam. Theside and bottom seams usually are permanent seals (e.g., heat sealed)and the top seam can be re-closeable.

Food bags are often used to store food for freezing whereby such bagsare frequently referred to as freezer bags. A major complaintsurrounding the use of freezer bags stems from what has come to becalled “freezer burn;” that is, the dehydration that occurs when food isstored in the low humidity atmosphere of a freezer. Freezer burn cancause a complex deterioration of food quality involving undesirabletexture changes, followed by chemical changes such as degradation ofpigments and oxidative rancidity of lipids. Taste, aroma, mouth feel,and appearance all can be ruined.

The elimination of air from the interior cavity of the freezer bag isknown to dramatically decrease freezer burn. To this end, air releasevalves and/or special bag constructions have been used to minimize airwithin the bag. However, these solutions can substantially complicate(and slow-down) the bag-making process, and/or can significantlyincrease production costs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a release valve for a food bag thatsupplies sufficient (and possibly superior) freezer-burn protection andcan be easily fabricated and incorporated into existing food bagdesigns. The food bag does not require any special bag constructions, asalmost any bag construction can be modified to accommodate the releasevalve by simply forming an appropriately placed opening. Moreover, thebag structure and the valve can be manufactured separately, by differentmanufacturers and at different locations. This allows bag-manufacturersto maintain conventional bag-making techniques and, quite significantly,not compromise current (and quick) bag-making speeds. Also, the bagstructures and the valves can be inspected prior to integration wherebya defective valve (or batch) can be scrapped without having to sacrificean otherwise acceptable bag structure (or run). The flexiblemanufacturing option provided by the present invention results in lowertotal costs when compared to, for example, in-line production of boththe valve and the bag structure.

More particularly, the present invention provides a method of making aplurality of flexible containers, comprising the steps of manufacturinga plurality of bag structures and separately manufacturing a pluralityof valves. The valves are each aligned with an opening in a bagstructure so that sealed passageways are formed between the vent layerand the bag structure. The aligned valve is then secured to the bagstructures. The aligning step and/or the securing step can be performedautomatically by a machine.

The present invention also provides a method of making a plurality ofvalves each having a vent layer and a sealable area for forming a sealedpassageway between the vent layer and a bag structure. The methodcomprises the steps of providing a vent material (pervious with respectto expected gasses), positioning an adhesive on an inner surface of thevent material in a pattern corresponding to the sealable areas, andcutting the vent material into shapes corresponding to the shape of thevent layer.

The valve-making method can additionally comprise the steps of providinga cover material (impervious with respect to the expected gasses),positioning a vent-to-cover adhesive between the outer surface of thevent material and the inner surface of the cover material, andoverlaying the vent material and the cover material so that the outersurface of the vent material is adjacent an inner surface of the covermaterial and secured thereto by the adhesive. The cover material can becut during the same cutting step as the vent layer.

The present invention further provides a web comprising at least onevalve and a liner to which the valve is temporarily attached forselective removal therefrom for integration into a bag structure. Thevalve comprises a vent layer pervious with respect to expected gassesand a bag-to-vent adhesive on an inner surface of the vent layer forpermanently attaching each valve to the bag structure upon integration.The web preferably comprises a plurality of valves and/or thebag-to-vent adhesive preferably also temporarily attaches the valve(s)to the liner.

These and other features of the invention are fully described andparticularly pointed out in the claims. The following description anddrawings set forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of theinvention, which are indicative of but a few of the various ways inwhich the principles of the invention may be employed.

DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view of a food bag, which incorporates a valve 10.

FIGS. 2A-2D are a front view and sectional views of the valve 10.

FIGS. 3A-3D are a front view and sectional views of a modified form ofthe valve 10.

FIGS. 4A-4D are a front view and sectional views of another modifiedform of the valve 10.

FIGS. 5A-5D are schematic views showing a method of using the food bagto store food for later consumption.

FIGS. 6A-6J are schematic views showing a method of making the food bag12 according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a schematic view of an adhesive-applying step for the valve 10shown in FIGS. 3A-3D.

FIG. 8 is a schematic view of an adhesive-applying step for the valve 10shown in FIGS. 4A-4D.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a food bag 112 incorporating a valve 110according to the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a close-up sectional view of the food bag 112.

FIG. 11 is a front view of the valve 110 isolated from the rest of thefood bag 112.

FIGS. 12A-12D are schematic views showing a method of using the food bag112 to store food for later consumption.

FIGS. 13A-13F are isolated front views of modified versions of the valve110.

FIGS. 14A-14J are schematic views showing a method of making the foodbag 112 according to the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a front view of a food bag 212, which incorporates a valve210 according to the present invention.

FIGS. 16A-16D are front and sectional views of the valve 210.

FIGS. 17A-17J are schematic views of method steps for making the valve210.

FIG. 18 is a schematic view of equipment when making the valve 210.

FIGS. 19A and 19B are schematic views of some modified step in themethod for making the valve 210.

FIGS. 20A and 20B are schematic views of some other modified steps inthe method of making the valve 210.

FIG. 21A is a sectional view similar to FIG. 16B, except that the valve210 includes a barrier layer on the inner surface of its vent layer.

FIG. 21B is a view as seen along line 21B-21B in FIG. 21A.

FIG. 21C is a view similar to FIG. 21B, showing a modified barrierlayer.

FIGS. 21D-21F are schematic views of steps for achieving the barrierlayer shown in FIG. 21C.

FIG. 22A is a sectional view similar to FIG. 16B, except that the valve210 includes a barrier layer on the outer surface of its vent layer.

FIG. 22B is a view as seen along line 22B-22B in FIG. 22A.

FIG. 22C is a view similar to FIG. 22B, showing a modified barrierlayer.

FIGS. 22D-22G are schematic views of steps for achieving the barrierlayer shown in FIG. 22C.

FIG. 23A is a sectional view similar to FIG. 16B, except that the valve210 includes a release layer on the inner surface of its cover layer.

FIG. 23B is a view as seen along line 23B-23B in FIG. 23A.

FIG. 23C is a view similar to FIG. 23B, with a modified release layer.

FIG. 23D is a view as seen along line 23D-23D in FIG. 23B.

FIGS. 24A-24D are views similar to FIG. 16B, except that the valve 210includes a barrier layer and a release layer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now to the drawings and initially to FIG. 1, a valve 10according to the present invention is shown incorporated into a food bag12. The food bag 12 can be intended for use as a freezer bag (i.e., tostore foods intended to be frozen) and, as is explained in more detailbelow, the valve 10 supplies sufficient (or even superior) freezer-burnprotection. The valve 10 can be easily fabricated and incorporated intoexisting food bag designs and may find application in “non-freezer-bag”applications as it can help improve freshness and/or reduce space.

The illustrated food bag 12 has a standard bag construction 13comprising two side panels 14 and 16, each having a rectangular shape(although other geometries are certainly possible). The panels 14 and 16can be made from a thermoplastic material or a blend of thermoplasticmaterials such as, for example, polyolefins such as high densitypolyethylene (HDPE), low density polyethylene (LDPE), linear low densitypolyethylene (LLDPE), and polypropylene (PP); thermoplastic elastomerssuch as styrenic block copolymers, polyolefin blends, elastomericalloys, thermoplastic polyurethanes, thermoplastic copolyesters andthermoplastic polyamides; polymers and copolymers of polyvinyl chloride(PVC); polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC); saran polymers; ethylene/vinylacetate copolymers; cellulose acetates; polyethylene terephthalate(PET); ionomer (Surlyn); polystyrene; polycarbonates; styreneacrylonitrile; aromatic polyesters; linear polyesters; and thermoplasticpolyvinyl alcohols. That being said, the valve 10 of the presentinvention may be used on other types of plastic bags or any otherflexible plastic or non-plastic containers.

The panels 14 and 16 are joined together along side seams 18, a bottomseam 20, and a top seam 22. The preferably permanent seams 18 and 20 canbe formed by heat sealing or another suitable technique, forming anair-tight union between the panels 14 and 16. The preferablyre-closeable seam 22 can constitute, for example, male/female members,zipper-like members, adhesives, hook-and-loop fasteners, mechanicalclosures, slide locks, draw string arrangements, fold lock tops,magnetic connections, dead fold closures (i.e., aluminum foil, wirefolded, tape), heat seals, staples, handle strings, cable ties and/ortwist ties. To prevent freezer burn, it is important that the top seam22 (as well as the other seams 18 and 20) are airtight to prevent theleakage of air therein. However, the top seam 22 need not be designed toaccommodate venting purposes, as in some prior art food bags. Moreover,it is not crucial that the top seam 22 be recloseable, as the presentinvention could find application in a non-reopenable container havingall permanently sealed seams.

The food bag 12 includes an opening 24 on one of its panels (panel 14 inthe illustrated embodiment) for registration with the valve 10 of thepresent invention. In the illustrated embodiment, the opening 24 islocated roughly centrally relative to the length of the panel 14 and thewidth of the panel 16. Also, it has a dimension (e.g., diameter) in therange of about ⅛ inch to about 2 inches, in the range of about ¼ inch toabout 1 inch, in the range of about ⅜ inch to about ⅞ inch, in the rangeof about ½ inch to about ¾ inch, and/or in the range of about ⅜ inch toabout ⅝ inch. In the illustrated food bag 12, the opening 24 has acircular shape and is positioned centrally relative to the relevantpanel 14. However, other shapes (e.g., slits, slots) or other positionsare possible with, and contemplated by, the present invention. In fact,this “opening” need not resemble a hole, but could simply constitute aportion of the bag structure that is pervious to gas by virtue ofmaterial-make up, perforations, and/or weave.

Referring now to FIGS. 2A-2D, the valve 10 is illustrated as beingisolated from the bag structure 12 and, as is best seen in FIG. 2A, ithas a roughly square shape with semi-circular notches 28 in each side.The overall valve shape can be selected for ease and economy inmanufacture (e.g., easily mass-produced with minimal waste), handling,and/or installation, and also to optimize venting, baffling, andleak-prevention. That being said, the overall and/or notched geometrycan be changed if necessary or desired, as long as it does not directlyeffect the venting, baffling, and/or lead-preventing functions. Forexample, as shown in FIGS. 3A-3D and FIGS. 4A-4D, the valve 10 caninstead have a substantially circular and “notchless” shape.

As is best seen in FIG. 2B, the valve 10 comprises a vent layer 30 and acover layer 32. When installed on the food bag 12 (FIG. 1), the ventlayer 30 is the inner layer positioned closest to the bag panel 14 andthe cover layer 32 is the outer layer positioned furthest therefrom. Thevent layer 30 has an inner surface 34 and an outer surface 36, and thecover layer 32 has an inner surface 38 and an outer surface 40. As isexplained in more detail below, baffle passageways 44 between the ventlayer 30 and the cover layer 32 for exit paths for gas being releasedthrough valve 10.

The vent layer 30 is made of a material that allows expected gasses toescape from the food bag 12 while preventing the escape of expectedliquids. (“Expected gasses” refers to gasses such as air and/or airmixed with gas from contents of the bag structure, and “expectedliquids” refers to water and/or other liquids from the contents of thebag structure.) More specifically, the vent layer 30 is pervious withrespect to the expected gasses while, at the same time, it issubstantially impervious to the expected liquids. In the presentsituation “substantially impervious” refers to the material's ability tocontain liquids should they casually come into contact therewith, butnot necessarily the ability to prevent leakage should the materialbecome saturated, should wicking action occur, and/or should strategicsqueezing be performed to create a high pressure force in the vicinityof the opening 24. A balance should be maintained for each particularapplication between sufficient gas flow capacity and adequate liquidleakage protection.

The cover layer 32 serves as a baffle layer that guides escaping gaswhen pressure is placed on the closed food bag 12. However, a coverlayer 32 may not be needed in some applications, as the vent layer 30alone may perform adequate valve functions. The cover layer 32 can alsoserve as a supplemental liquid barrier so that, in combination with theliquid-impervious qualities of the vent layer 30, an increased shield iscreated.

Perhaps it should be noted at this point that liquid-leakage issues maynot be significant in all relevant situations. For example, insituations where food that has already been frozen (e.g., frozen fish,frozen meat, etc.) is being repackaged for future freezing, thecontainment of liquid from within the bag 12 will not be a concern. Inthese circumstances, the liquid-imperviousness of the vent layer 30would be less of a design consideration. Conversely, liquid-leakageissues may play more of a significant role in the desire for the foodbag 12 to be compatible with non-freezer applications, such astemporarily storing liquid food substances such as soup or pasta sauce.

Preferably the size/shape of the layers 30 and 32, and their relativepositioning relative to each other, is such that the perimeter (i.e.,the periphery) of the cover layer 32 does not extend beyond theperimeter (i.e., the periphery) of the vent layer 30. (FIGS. 2B-2D.) Inthis manner, the inner surface 34 of the vent layer 30 can form theentire inner surface, or attachment surface, of the valve 10. As isexplained in more detail below, this feature of the inventioncontributes to efficient and economic integration of the valves 10 intothe bag structures 13. More preferably, the layers 30 and 32 are ofsubstantially the same shape and size, and are substantially alignedwith each other. As is explained in more detail below, this contributesto the efficient and economic mass-manufacturing of the valves byallowing simultaneous cutting of the layers 30 and 32, and preferablyalso the notches 28. As for the circular and “notchless” valves 10 shownin FIGS. 3 and 4, the circumference (i.e., the periphery) of the coverlayer 32 does not extend beyond the circumference (i.e., the periphery)of the vent layer 30 and, more particularly, the layers 30 and 32 are ofsubstantially the same circular shape and size, and are substantiallyaligned with each other.

An adhesive area 50 on the inner surface 34 of the vent layer 30attaches the valve 10 to the bag structure 13. The adhesive area 50covers the inner surface 34, except for an adhesive-free area 52corresponding to the opening 24 in the food bag 12. (FIGS. 2B and 2C.)In the illustrated embodiment, the adhesive-free area 52 is circular andis sized for close registration with the opening 24 (e.g., ⅝ inchdiameter). However, other shapes (mirroring or not mirroring the bagopening 24) and/or not-so-precise registration could be used instead.

It may be noted that the two-fold purpose of the adhesive area 50 is toattach the vent layer 30 to the bag structure 12 and to seal the centralarea 52 so that expelled fluid will pass through the vent layer 30 tothe area 56 and exit through the baffle passageways 44. Thus, anyadhesive and/or any adhesive pattern that provides thisattaching/sealing could be used. In fact, non-adhesiveattachments/sealings accomplishing these same goals are possible with,and contemplated by, the present invention.

An adhesive area 54 between the outer surface 36 of the vent layer 30and the inner surface 38 of the cover layer 32 attaches these layerstogether. In the illustrated embodiment, the adhesive area 54 comprisesfour squares occupying each of the four corner sections of the surface36. (FIGS. 2B and 2D.) As with the adhesive area 50, any adhesive ornon-adhesive arrangement which provides such attaching is possible with,and contemplated by, the present invention.

The adhesive-free area 56 between the vent layer 30 and the cover layer32 extends to side edge portions of the valve 10, whereby the traversebaffling passageways 44 are formed for the escaping gas. Specifically,gas flow traveling through the portion of the vent layer 30 that isaligned with the bag opening 24 (and/or the adhesive-free area 52) willbe turned perpendicularly by the cover layer 32 and released through thebaffling passageways 44 between the layers 30 and 32. It may be furthernoted that in the illustrated embodiment the notches 28 help to insure across-shaped release of gas, thereby equalizing exhaust forces and notstraining the valve-to-bag attachment.

Other adhesive (or non-adhesive) arrangements which result in thebaffling passageways 44 being formed between the layers 30 and 32 arecertainly possible with, and contemplated by, the present invention. Forexample, in the circular valve shown in FIGS. 3A-3D, the adhesive area54 comprises four semi-circles equally spaced about the circle'scircumference. (FIG. 3D.) In the circular valve shown in FIGS. 4A-4D,the adhesive area 54 comprises two strips running through opposite sidearcs of the circle. (FIG. 4D.) As is explained in more detail below,these adhesive arrangements might be more mass-manufacturing friendly,as they allow dot patterns and stripe patterns, respectively, to be usedduring the adhesive-applying step.

As shown in FIGS. 5A-5D, the illustrated bag 12 can be used by aconsumer, in a home setting, to store food for freezing. According tothe present invention, food F is placed in the bag structure 13 and thetop seam 22 is closed. (FIGS. 5A and 5B.) Pressure is then applied tothe bag structure 13 (e.g. by manually pushing or squeezing the bagstructure 13) at a location lower than the valve 10. (FIG. 5C.) Gas(e.g. air) within the bag structure 13 then passes through the opening24, through the vent layer 30, and released through the bafflingpassageways 44 between the layers 30 and 32. (FIG. 5D.)

Referring now to FIGS. 6A-6J, a method for mass-manufacturing aplurality of the food bags 12 according to the present invention isschematically shown. In this method, a plurality of the valves 10 ismanufactured, a plurality of the bag structures 13 is manufacturedseparately and in a conventional manner, and the valves 10 areintegrated into the structures 13 during the latter stages of bagproduction. While the illustrated schematic steps are shown with respectto a single row of valves 10 and/or bag structures 13, these steps can,of course, be performed simultaneously or intermittently to a pluralityof rows for mass production purposes.

To manufacture the valves 10, a continuous web of cover material 60 isprovided having an inner surface 62 and an outer surface 64. (FIG. 6A.)A commercial indication, a name brand, a logo or other labeling indicia66 is printed on the outer surface 64. (FIG. 6B) An adhesive 68 isapplied (e.g., printed) on the inner surface 62 of the cover material 60in a pattern corresponding to the adhesive areas 54. (FIG. 6C.) Acontinuous web of a vent material 70 having an inner surface 72 and anouter surface 74 is then positioned so that its outer surface 74 isadjacent the inner surface 62 of the cover material 60, whereby theadhesive 68 is positioned therebetween. (FIG. 6D.)

An adhesive 76 is applied (e.g., printed) to the inner surface 72 of thevent material 70 in a pattern corresponding to the adhesive areas 50 inthe valves 10. (FIG. 6E.) A release liner 78 is positioned over theinner surface 72 of the vent material 70 so that the adhesive 76 ispositioned therebetween. (FIG. 6F.) The compilation of materials 60 and70 is then die cut into squares corresponding to the overall shape ofthe valves 10 and, preferably simultaneously, cut to form the notches28. (FIG. 6G.) The cuts do not extend through the release liner 78whereby a web 80 comprising a plurality of the valves 10 temporarilyattached to the release liner 78 (via the adhesive 76 or the adhesivearea 50) is produced. (FIG. 6H.) The web 80 can be shipped from thevalve-manufacturing location to the bag-manufacturing location in, forexample, roll form.

The bag structures 13 are separately mass-manufactured in a continuousstrip wherein the bottom seam 20 of one bag structure 13 abuts againstthe top seam 22 of the adjacent downstream bag structure 13. (FIG. 6I).The valves 10 can be removed from the release liner 78, aligned with theopenings 24 and secured to the bag structures 13 (FIG. 6J). The removal,aligning, and securing step can be performed automatically (i.e., by amachine, not shown) or can be performed manually (i.e., by a person, notshown). The bag structures 13 are separated from each other by asevering device (not shown), either before or after the valve-securingstep.

Thus, the present invention allows the bag structure 13 and the valve 10to be manufactured as separate articles and integrated together duringfinal production stages. This allows the bag structure 13 to be made ina conventional (and quick and proven cost-effective) manner whereby theintegration of the valve 10 does not significantly affect the bag-makingprocess. Additionally or alternatively, the valves 10 can be inspectedprior to integration whereby potentially defective items can be pulledfrom the process without having to scrap entire otherwise acceptable bagstructures 13. (Likewise, the bag structures 13 can be inspected priorto integration to avoid the scraping otherwise acceptable valves 10,however, the cost of the bag structure 13 will usually greatly outweighthe cost of the valve 10.) The flexible manufacturing option provided bythe present invention results in lower total costs when compared to, forexample, in-line production of both the valve and the bag structure.

The cover material 60 (and thus the cover layer 32) can be made frompolymer film materials such as polystyrenes, polyolefins, polyamides,polyesters, polycarbonates, polyvinyl alcohol, poly(ethylene vinylalcohol), polyurethanes, polyacrylates including copolymers of olefinssuch as ethylene and propylene with acrylic acids and esters, copolymersof olefins and vinyl acetate, ionomers and mixtures thereof. Oneparticular example is a biaxially-oriented semi-crystalline polymerfilmcomprising isostatic polypropylene, also referred to asbiaxially-oriented polypropylene (BOPP).

The vent material 70 (and thus the layer 30) can be made from nylon,polyolefins (e.g., polyethylene, polypropylene, ethylene butylenecopolymers), polyurethanes, polyurethane foams, polystyrenes,plasticized polyvinylchlorides, polyesters, polyamides, cotton, orrayon. The vent material can be woven, non-woven, knitted and/or anaperatured (or perforated) film. Preferably, the material used tofabricate the vent layer 30 should have a porosity or perviousness of atleast about 5 cfm (cubic feet per minute), at least about 10 cfm, atleast about 15 cfm, at least about 20 cfm and/or at least about 25 cfmwith respect to air so that an acceptable level of gas flow can beobtained without the placement of excessive pressure on the bag.

The adhesive 68 (and thus the adhesive area 54) can be any suitableadhesive, such as a pressure-sensitive adhesive (e.g., acrylic-based,rubber-based, or silicone-based) or a curable-adhesive, such as aUV-curable adhesive. (It may be noted that if a UV-curable adhesive isused for the adhesive 76, the cover material 68 may need to betransparent.)

The adhesive 76 (and thus the adhesive area 50) can be any suitableadhesive, such as a pressure-sensitive adhesive (e.g., acrylic-based,rubber-based, or silicone-based) and, more particularly, a hot meltpressure-sensitive adhesive.

The release liner 78 can be a sheet of paper or polymeric film having arelease coating, such as a silicone release coating.

It may be noted that another consideration for material selection withrespect to the vent layer 30, the cover layer 32, the adhesive 50, theadhesive 54, and/or the release liner 78, may stem from the potentialfood-related use of the food bag 12. Specifically, the FDA may dictatethat only certain materials and/or adhesives can be used when thepossibility of food contact exists. Furthermore, if the food bag 12 isintended to be used as a freezer bag, the materials should be able toremain intact at the expected freezing temperatures. Also, withparticular reference to the adhesive 50 (used to attach the valve 10 tothe bag structure 13), an important consideration might be whether thevalves 10 will be automatically or manually attached to the bagstructures 13.

Referring now to FIGS. 9-14, another valve 110 according to the presentinvention is shown. The valve 110, the food bag 112 and the bagstructure 113 are similar in many ways to the valve 10, the bag 12, andthe structure 13 whereby like reference numerals, with a “100” addedthereto, are used to designated like parts.

The valve 110 has a circular shape (in plan) dictated by the circularshape of its vent layer 130 and its cover layer 132. (FIGS. 10 and 11.)As with the layers 30 and 32, the circumference (i.e., the periphery) ofthe cover layer 132 does not extend beyond the circumference (i.e., theperiphery) of the vent layer 130 and the layers 130 and 132 arepreferably of substantially the same shape and size, and aresubstantially aligned with each other.

The valve 110 does not have baffle passages, but instead has across-shaped slit 142 that extends through the thickness of the coverlayer 132 (i.e., from its inner surface 138 to its outer surface 140)thereby defining a plurality (i.e., four) of flaps 144. (FIG. 11.) As isbest seen by referring briefly to FIG. 12D, the flaps 144 are liftedrelative to the rest of the cover layer 132 when gas is being releasedthrough the valve 110.

The adhesive area 154 has an annular shape bordering the periphery ofthe circular outer surface 136 and surrounding (and sealing) theadhesive-free central area 156. A portion of the adhesive-free area 156is aligned with the adhesive-free area 152 and another (or the same)portion is aligned with the flaps 144. The adhesive area 154 is intendedto attach the cover layer 132 to the vent layer 130 and to seal thecentral area 156 so that the released gas will pass through the flaps144. As shown in FIGS. 12A-12D, the food bag 112 can be used by aconsumer, in a home setting, to store food for freezing. Gas (e.g. air)within the bag structure 113 will pass through the opening 124 to theadhesive-free area 152, through the vent layer 130 to the adhesive-freearea 156, through the slits 142 thereby lifting the flaps 144 to escapeto the atmosphere. (FIG. 12D.) The adhesive-free areas 152 and 156 canbe viewed as “sealed areas” which provide passageways from the bagopening 124 to the exit slits 142.

In the valve 110 shown in FIGS. 9-12, the cross slit 142 forms fourtriangular flaps 144 which lift to release the expelled gas. Other typesof slits 142, forming other types of flaps 144, are certainly possiblewith and contemplated by, the present invention, such as those shown inFIGS. 13A-13D. Specifically, for example, an overlapping-cross slit 142can form eight triangular flaps 144 (FIG. 13A), a half-capsule slit 142can form a correspondingly half-capsule flap 144 (FIG. 13B), a pair ofear-shaped slits 142 can form correspondingly ear-shaped flaps 144 (FIG.13C), and a series of semi-circular slits 142 can form a plurality ofsemi-circular flaps 144 (FIG. 13D). Moreover, the slit(s) 142 need notform flaps 144, as they can have “flapless” design wherein the slit(s)142 comprise, for example, perforations (FIG. 13E) or linear cuts (FIG.13F), allowing the released gas to escape therethrough.

As shown in FIGS. 14A-14J, a plurality of the food bags 112 can bemass-manufactured in much the same manner as the food bags 12. Withparticular reference to the production of the web 180, the compilationof materials 160 and 170 is die cut into circles corresponding to theoverall shape of the valves 110 and, preferably simultaneously, thecover material 160 is cut to form the slits 142. (FIGS. 14G and 14H.)

Referring now to FIGS. 15-24, another valve 210 and food bag 212 areshown. This valve 210, bag 212, and bag structure 213 are similar to thevalve 10, the bag 12, and the bag structure 13 whereby like referencenumerals (with “200” added thereto) are used to designate like parts. Itis additionally noted that a plurality of the valves 210 and/or aplurality of the food bags 212 can be mass-manufactured in much the sameway as the valves 10/110 and the food bags 12/212. (See FIGS. 17A-17J.)

The valve 210 has a circular shape similar to the valve 110 and has a“baffle” flow path similar to (but not the same as) the valve 10. In thevalve 210, the vent-to-cover adhesive area 254 comprises two barsoccupying diametrically opposite arcs on the circular the surface 236,and the majority of the surface 236 is an adhesive-free area 256. (FIGS.16B and 16D.) The adhesive-free area 256 extends to side edge portionsof the valve 210, whereby the traverse baffling passageways 244 areformed for the escaping gas.

As for the bag-to-vent adhesive 250, it occupies a region aligned withthe non-adhesive area 256 (e.g., the baffle area) between the vent layer230 and the cover layer 232. Thus, if the adhesive 250 were to migratethrough the vent layer 230 in this region, adhesive could find its wayinto non-adhesive area 256, causing the cover layer 232 to “stick to”the vent layer 230 in this area 256. This sticking could constrict, orclose, the passageways 244 through which the released gas flows to exitthe valve 210, thereby inhibiting the valve's proper operation.

The migration of the bag-to-vent adhesive 250 to the non-adhesive area256 could occur at many times during the life of the valve 210. Forexample, this migration could start during production of the valves 210,as early as when the adhesive 276 is applied to the vent material 270.Alternatively, migration could first begin during storage or shipment ofthe valves 210, even if these valves came off the production linemigration-free. The present invention provides features which minimizesmigration of the adhesive 250 and/or prevents sticking of the coverlayer 232 in the non-adhesive area 256 upon such migration.

According to the present invention, the adhesive 276 is chosen so thatits glass transition temperature (Tg), softening point, and viscosityare as high as possible. These three properties are believed to be thekey properties affecting flow, or migration, through nonwoven ventmaterial. An example of suitable hot melt pressure sensitive adhesive isH2187-01 hot melt PSA, which is sold by Ato Findley, Inc., of Wauwatosa,Wis. When compared to conventional bag-to-vent adhesives, this adhesivehas 8° C. higher glass transition temperature (T_(g)), 30° F. highersoftening point, and 3000 cps higher viscosity at 325° F. referencetemperature.

Also, measures can be taken to accelerate solidification of the adhesive276 during production. For example, as shown in FIG. 18, a roller 282and/or a roller 284 encountering the adhesive 276 just after applicationcan be chilled (e.g., cooled by a cooling water) to reduce thetemperature of the adhesive 276 just after application. Additionally oralternatively, the application temperature of the adhesive 276 can beminimized and/or the adhesive coat weight can be minimized.

The application of the adhesive 276 can also be altered to acceleratesolidification and/or otherwise minimize migration issues. For anexample, as shown in FIGS. 19A and 19B, the adhesive 276 can be patternapplied to the release liner 278 and then transferred to the innersurface of the vent material 270. (Compare FIGS. 17E and 17F wherein theadhesive 276 is applied to the vent material 270 and then the releaseliner 278 is placed thereover.)

For another example, as shown in FIGS. 20A and 20B, the adhesive 276could be provided as a cold film in a transfer tape 286 and laminated tothe vent material 270. In the illustrated embodiment, the adhesive 276is positioned between a liner 288 and the release liner 278, with theliner 288 being removed prior to lamination and the release liner 278remaining with the adhesive 276 after lamination. The tape 286(including the liners 288 and 278) is die-cut to provide circularopenings 290 corresponding to the non-adhesive areas 252 on the valves210. Thus, in the web 280 (FIG. 17H), the release liner 278 will includethe openings 290 aligned with the non-adhesive areas 252 of the valves210.

Referring now to FIGS. 21 and 22, the valve 210 is modified to include abarrier layer 292 to prevent migration of the bag-to-vent adhesive 252into the area 256. The barrier layer 292 can be positioned on the innersurface 234 of the vent layer 230 (FIGS. 21A-21C) or the barrier layer292 can be positioned on the outer surface 236 of the vent layer (FIGS.22A-22C). The barrier layer 292 can occupy an area which mirrors theshape of the adhesive area 250 (FIGS. 21B and 22B) or it can cover onlythe area crucial to forming the baffle passageways 244 (FIGS. 21C and21D).

The barrier layer 292 can comprise an adhesive coated film which islaminated to the vent material 270 at the appropriate production stage.In the illustrated embodiment, the coated film would have to be die cutto include the proper doughnut shape (or hole) prior to thisapplication. The adhesive of the coated film would need to adhereappropriately to the vent material 270, and the film of the coated filmwould need to allow adherence of the adhesive 276 thereto.

The barrier layer 292 can comprise a flowable barrier material coated onthe vent material 270 at the appropriate production stage. The barriermaterial can be a polymeric material. For example, the barrier layer cancomprise a solvent based epoxy, an emulsion based urethane, an emulsionbased acrylic, a curable (e.g., UV curable) acrylic or urethane, and/ora solvent based polyamide. A commercial example of a suitable barriercoating is Corkote IJ-1012′ from Cork Industries, Jacksonville, Fla.,which is an emulsion based acrylic coating.

The barrier material must, of course, have good adhesion, bonding,and/or connection with the vent material 70. To this end, the barriermaterial should be able to form a continuous/uniform solid layer (e.g.,a lattice network) on the vent material 270. If the barrier materialpenetrates through pores in the vent material 270, solidification shouldoccur within vent material (i.e., prior to exiting the pores).

Material compatibility must be taken into consideration when selecting abarrier material. For example, if the vent material 270 has been surfacetreated, a different solvent may have to be used to disperse the barriermaterial to generate coating of different quality/morphology. Forexample, the vent layer 230 in the illustrated embodiment can comprise anon-woven polymer treated with a fluoropolymer to make it hydrophobicand/or water repellent. The barrier material dispersed in water/polarsolvent would be inclined to form layer on top of the non-woven ventmaterial 270, with minimum penetration into its open (or pored)structure. On the other hand, barrier material dispersed in non-polarsolvent, such as toluene/hexane, would tend to fill up the pores.

Equipment availability and/or process requirements might also influencethe selection of an appropriate barrier material. For instance, if thebarrier coating is applied by a flexo-printing station (or other devicewhich is designed to render thin coatings), it might be quite difficultto have a continuous/uniform layer on top of vent material 270. In thiscase, it might be more realistic to choose a barrier coating that can beapplied to penetrate the pores of vent material, followed by quicksolidification.

The barrier material must also withstand production and post-productionhandling. Specifically, for example, the barrier layer 292 should not beeasily damaged or rubbed off of the vent material 270 (or the vent layer230). Once solidified, the barrier coating should behave like athermoset material, so that there will be little deformation/budge overlong periods of time and upon environmental changes, such as fluctuationof temperature.

In addition to the barrier material appropriately bonding to the ventmaterial 270, in certain valve designs the barrier material must alsoaccommodate bonding of the neighboring adhesive (specifically, adhesive276 in FIGS. 21A and 21B, and adhesive 268 in FIGS. 22A and 22B).Moreover, the barrier material should preferably be selected so that itpossesses minimum adhesion to the cover material 260 (e.g., BOPP film).

With particular reference to FIGS. 21C and 22C, the barrier layer 292can be applied as a coating in stripes running in the longitudinaldirection of the vent material 270 (and thus perpendicular to theadhesive bars 268 in the illustrated embodiment). For example, thebarrier layer 292 can be formed from a heat sealable material 294, withthe heat being applied by rollers 296 to form the stripes. The barriermaterial 294 can be provided in the form of a film or the barriermaterial 294 can be coated onto the vent material 270. The heat sealablematerial can comprise a polyethylene based, polyurethane based,polyester based, copolyester based, polyamide based, and/or amorphouspolyolefin based polymer.

Referring now to FIGS. 23A-23D, the valve 210 is shown modified toinclude a release layer 298 on the inner surface 238 of the cover layer232. The release layer 298 can cover the entire inner surface 238 of thecover layer 232 (FIGS. 23A and 23B) or can cover only a region alignedwith the non-adhesive area 256 (FIGS. 23C and 23D). In either case,should the bag-to-vent adhesive 250 migrate through the vent layer 230,the release layer 298 would prevent the cover layer 232 from sticking tovent layer 230 via the migrated adhesive. The release layer 298 cancomprise silicone coatings (UV cured or otherwise), wax-based coatings,polyethylene or other low surface energy spray or liquid coatings,flouridated coatings, or any other low surface energy coating to which amigrating adhesive would not adhere.

The different anti-stick means disclosed can be combined whenappropriate and/or when necessary. For example, as shown in FIGS.24A-24D, the valve 210 can include both a barrier layer 292 and arelease layer 298. Also, for example, the release layer 298 can be usedin conjunction with the adhesive 268 being transferred from the liner278 and/or the adhesive 268 being provided by a transfer tape 286. Oneof the anti-stick means, or a combination of the anti-stick means, maybe appropriate depending upon the intended application and otherfactors.

One now may appreciate that the present invention provides a valve10/110/210 that provides sufficient (or even superior) freezer-burnprotection and can be easily fabricated and incorporated into existingfood bag designs. Unlike prior art attempts to address the problem offreezer burn, the present invention does not require any special bagconstructions and/or closing means. In fact, almost any food bagconstruction can be modified to accommodate the valve of the presentinvention by simply forming the opening 24/124/224 in the appropriateplace. Additionally or alternatively, the present invention provides avalve design which allows economic and efficient mass-manufacturing,which can maintain integrity during shipping to distant locations,and/or which can be easily integrated with bag structures during latterphases of production.

The valve 10/110/210 need not be used solely in food bags, but couldfind application in any flexible packaging container (for perishableand/or non-perishable items) wherein venting is necessary or desired.Additionally or alternatively, the venting action can be accomplished bythe application of external pressure (e.g., a compressible portion ofthe package is pushed) or by increased internal pressure (e.g.,increased temperatures or chemical reactions causing the pressure withinthe container to elevate).

Although the invention has been shown and described with respect tocertain preferred embodiments, it is evident that equivalent and obviousalterations and modifications will occur to others skilled in the artupon the reading and understanding of this specification. The presentinvention includes all such alterations and modifications and is limitedonly by the scope of the following claims.

1. A method of making a plurality of flexible containers, comprising thesteps of: manufacturing a plurality of bag structures, each bagstructure having a panel with an opening therein; separatelymanufacturing a plurality of valves, each valve comprising a vent layerwhich is pervious with respect to expected gasses and a sealable area;aligning each of the valves with an opening in a bag structure so thatthe sealable area forms a sealed passageway between the vent layer andthe bag structure; and securing the aligned valves to the bagstructures; wherein the valve manufacturing step comprises the steps of:providing a vent material which is pervious with respect to expectedgasses; positioning an adhesive on an inner surface of the vent materialin a pattern corresponding to the sealable areas; cutting the ventmaterial into shapes corresponding to the shape of the vent layer;providing a cover material which is impervious with respect to theexpected gasses; positioning a vent-to-cover adhesive between the outersurface of the vent material and the inner surface of the covermaterial; and overlaying the vent material and the cover material sothat the outer surface of the vent material is adjacent an inner surfaceof the cover material and secured thereto by the adhesive; wherein thecover material is also cut during said cutting step and the valves alsoeach include a cover layer and an area between the vent layer and thecover layer defined by the vent-to-cover adhesive.
 2. A method as setforth in claim 1 wherein the bag-manufacturing step is performed at abag-manufacturing location and the valve-manufacturing step is performedat a different valve-manufacturing location.
 3. A method as set forth inclaim 2, wherein the aligning step and/or the securing step are/isperformed automatically by a machine.
 4. A method as set forth in claim1, wherein said valve-manufacturing step results in a web comprising aplurality of the valves.
 5. A method as set forth in claim 4, whereinthe web comprises a liner to which the plurality of valves aretemporarily attached and wherein the method additionally comprises thestep of removing the valves from the liner prior to the securing step.6. A method as set forth in claim 5, wherein said removing step isperformed automatically by a machine.
 7. A method as set forth in claim5, wherein the bag-to-vent adhesive also temporarily attaches the valvesto the liner.
 8. A method as set forth in claim 5, wherein the liner isin either roll form or sheet form.
 9. A method of making a plurality offlexible containers as set forth in claim 1, wherein the area betweenthe vent layer and the cover layer is a baffle area whereby the expectedgasses will pass through the sealable area and through the vent layerinto the baffle area and exit the baffle area after being turnedsubstantially perpendicular by the cover layer.
 10. A method of making aplurality of flexible containers as set forth in claim 1, wherein thearea between the vent layer and the cover layer is a sealed area whichforms a sealed passageway between the vent layer and the cover layer,and wherein the method further comprises the step of cutting slits inthe cover material whereby each valve will include at least one slit inits cover layer whereby gasses can pass from the sealable area, throughthe vent layer to the sealed area, and exit the sealed area through theat least one slit.
 11. A method of making a plurality of flexiblecontainers, comprising the steps of: manufacturing a plurality of bagstructures, each bag structure having a panel with an opening therein;separately manufacturing a plurality of valves, each valve comprising avent layer which is pervious with respect to expected gasses and asealable area; aligning each of the valves with an opening in a bagstructure so that the sealable area forms a sealed passageway betweenthe vent layer and the bag structure; and securing the aligned valves tothe bag structures; wherein the valve manufacturing step comprisesproviding a vent material which is pervious with respect to expectedgasses, positioning an adhesive on an inner surface of the vent materialin a pattern corresponding to the sealable areas, and cutting the ventmaterial into shapes corresponding to the shape of the vent layer;wherein the valve manufacturing step includes the step of providing aweb comprising a plurality of valves temporarily attached to a liner forselective removal therefrom for integration into a bag structure;wherein each of the valves comprises: a vent layer pervious with respectto expected gasses a bag-to-vent adhesive on an inner surface of thevent layer for permanently attaching each valve to the bag structureupon integration, a cover layer overlaying the vent layer and definingan area between the vent layer and the cover layer through which theexpected gasses pass to exit the valve; wherein the area between thevent layer and the cover layer is a sealed area and wherein each of thevalves includes at least one slit through the cover layer forming anexit from the sealed area, whereby released gasses can pass from thearea, through the vent layer to the sealed area, and exit the sealedarea through the at least one slit.
 12. A method of making a pluralityof flexible containers, comprising the steps of: manufacturing aplurality of bag structures, each bag structure having a panel with anopening therein; separately manufacturing a plurality of valves, eachvalve comprising a vent layer which is pervious with respect to expectedgasses and a sealable area; aligning each of the valves with an openingin a bag structure so that the sealable area forms a sealed passagewaybetween the vent layer and the bag structure; and securing the alignedvalves to the bag structures; wherein the valve manufacturing stepcomprises providing a vent material which is pervious with respect toexpected gasses, positioning an adhesive on an inner surface of the ventmaterial in a pattern corresponding to the sealable areas, and cuttingthe vent material into shapes corresponding to the shape of the ventlayer; wherein the valve manufacturing step includes the step ofproviding a web comprising a plurality of valves temporarily attached toa liner for selective removal therefrom for integration into a bagstructure; wherein each of the valves comprises: a vent layer perviouswith respect to expected gasses a bag-to-vent adhesive on an innersurface of the vent layer for permanently attaching each valve to thebag structure upon integration, a cover layer overlaying the vent layerand defining an area between the vent layer and the cover layer throughwhich the expected gasses pass to exit the valve; wherein the areabetween the vent layer and the cover layer is a baffle area wherebyreleased gasses can pass through the vent layer to the baffle area andexit the baffle area after being turned substantially perpendicular bythe cover layer.
 13. A method as set forth in claim 12, wherein each ofthe valves includes anti-stick means for preventing the bag-to-ventadhesive area from causing the cover layer to stick to the vent layer inthe baffle area and thereby block the passageway(s).
 14. A method as setforth in claim 13, wherein the anti-stick means comprises barrier meansfor preventing migration of the adhesive area through the vent layer.15. A method as set forth in claim 13, wherein the anti-stick meanscomprises release means for releasing the cover layer from the ventlayer should the bag-to-vent adhesive migrate through vent layer intothe area.